The Flower That Grew from Ashes novel Chapter 29

Finally, the clinic door opened.

Vivian walked out holding a stack of reports.

Her face was entirely devoid of emotion, her eyes as heavy and cold as iron.

She walked straight up to Annelise, ignoring Harriet completely.

"Annelise, come in here for a second."

Harriet started to stand up but was stopped dead by a single glare from Vivian.

The office door closed again, shutting out all the noise from the corridor.

Vivian laid the reports out flat across her desk.

She pulled out a chair for Annelise to sit down, then took her own seat across from her.

Taking a deep breath, she braced herself as if preparing for a massive blow before finally speaking.

Every single syllable was agonizingly precise, cutting like a scalpel—sharp and ice-cold.

"Annelise, let me ask you something. Have you ever had your tubes tied?"

Annelise's hands, resting on her lap, gave an uncontrollable tremor.

She raised her eyes and looked at Vivian.

Vivian pointed at the HSG films, explaining word by word.

"Look here. And here. Both of your fallopian tubes show distinct signs of being clamped and severed."

"This is a perfectly textbook tubal ligation. The technique is expert, the incisions are clean. It was obviously done by a highly experienced OB-GYN."

Vivian paused, her voice laced with an irrepressible fury.

"Did you... know about this?"

Annelise's throat burned with dryness. She nodded, then shook her head.

She had guessed it all along.

But having this bloody truth laid out in front of her by a third-party medical professional, using such clinical terms, was devastating.

It still felt as though every ounce of strength was instantly ripped from her body.

She steadied her breathing and asked in a raspy voice, "Can you... can you tell when it was done?"

"Based on the tissue recovery in your mesosalpinx and the scar healing at the ligation sites," Vivian's eyes scanned the films before delivering her verdict, "at least three to four years ago."

Three to four years ago.

That "appendectomy."

Annelise closed her eyes.

Her absolute last shred of hope had just been pulverized.

"Is there anything else?" she asked. When she opened her eyes again, they were a pool of terrifyingly dead calm.

Vivian's lips parted, looking almost hesitant to deliver the final blow.

But she pointed to another pathology report and pushed on.

"Yes. About your surgery five days ago."

"Your records state your right tube was removed due to the risk of rupture from an ectopic pregnancy."

"Annelise!" Vivian jumped, rushing over to catch her.

"I'm fine."

Annelise waved her off, refusing the support.

She stood there, gripping the desk for a very long time.

The sky outside the window seemed to grow even darker.

After an eternity, she finally found her voice.

She looked up at Vivian. In those eyes that had once been as gentle as water, there was now nothing left but an endless, frozen wasteland of absolute hatred.

She spoke.

"Vivian, make three copies of every single test report and imaging file."

"I'm taking one with me."

"Lock one in your personal safe, and don't give it to anyone, no matter who asks."

Vivian stared at the sheer, do-or-die resolve burning in her friend's eyes and gave a heavy nod.

Annelise pulled a pen and paper from her purse, scribbled down an address, and handed it to Vivian.

"Send the last copy via the most secure courier service to this address."

Vivian took the note and glanced at it.

It was an upscale historic neighborhood in the city. She remembered it was the old estate left behind by Annelise's parents.

A place where the Lehmans had no keys, and where they would never dare to set foot.